Universal Picks Up ‘Dumb and Dumber To’

Fans of the Farrelly brothers comedy Dumb and Dumber have been awaiting a proper sequel for years (we don’t really count the prequel, which the Farrellys weren’t involved in), but it has only been within the last year that things on the project finally appeared like they were coming together. The film had a script – re-written by the Farrellys themselves – a new title and a studio, in Warner Bros., backing the entire project.

However, when WB suddenly dropped the film last week, it marked yet another setback in the plagued project’s history. With no studio and no financier, it certainly looked like fans may never see their dream of a Dumb and Dumber sequel come to fruition. However, those fans can now look up, because the film has found a new distributor and financial backing after a deal was made this week.

Deadline is reporting that Universal Pictures has picked up Dumb and Dumber To for domestic distribution and that production company Red Granite will finance the film with a budget of $35 million, while also selling to foreign territories. The deal confirms that Peter and Bobby Farrelly will return to direct and that Jeff Daniels and Jim Carrey will reprise their iconic roles as affable nitwits Harry and Lloyd.

Though this news doesn’t guarantee there won’t be other production snags along the way, it’s certainly the most encouraging update we’ve heard on the potential sequel thus far – especially considering that Carrey is committed, as his return was uncertain for quite some time.

What’s even more encouraging is that Universal plans to fast track the film into production to ensure Carrey and Daniels will be available. Carrey’s upcoming schedule includes the heist comedy Loomis Fargo and Daniels is set to return to work on Aaron Sorkin’s HBO series The Newsroom, so Universal and Red Granite will want to get things moving quickly, or else the project might encounter more delays.

Now that it appears fans will finally get a sequel, the obvious question is: What will they really be getting? The Farrelly brothers’ track record since There’s Something About Mary (1998) has been less than stellar with films like Stuck on You (2003), The Heartbreak Kid (2007) and The Three Stooges(2012), but with Carrey and Daniels on board, maybe they will rediscover the magic that made the original so special in the hearts of Dumb and Dumber lovers.

Of course, they’ll also need a story that puts Carrey and Daniels’ chemistry and comedic sensibilities to good use. Though we don’t know much about the plot yet, we’ve heard that it will put Harry and Lloyd on another road trip and may involve one of the characters discovering that he is a father.

One thing the Farrellys have said all along about the sequel is that the characters haven’t grown, which would be terrible news for audiences of most film series, but since we love Harry and Lloyd most for their naivety and blind ignorance, the fact that they haven’t learned anything in 20 years may suit them – and the film – perfectly.

With Dumb and Dumber 2 said to be heading into production soon, we should have more news to pass along shortly.